Christmas Eve
by cmol8806
Summary: A small glimpse into Christmas Eve in the Brennan/Booth household


**Okay, this is a secret santa gift to and she knew love. I hope I did okay. **

**Christmas Eve**

Laughter and chatter fill the rooms of the large house, cheerful Christmas music vaguely heard under the noise. Max wiggles his way through the small crowd, a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes.

"Why the glum face, kid?" Max says cheerfully to Fisher as he steps next to him at the refreshment table.

"Aside from being shunned by family and basically ignored by every woman I have come in contact with during this grossly commercialized, forcefully cheerful holiday?" the younger man says gloomily, staring down into his eggnog as if wishing to drown inside it. "Where do I begin?"

Annoyance flickers over Max's face but is quickly replaced by a stony expression. Setting down his cup on the table, the ex-convict advances on Fisher, instantly intimidating the much taller man.

"Listen to me, kid. This is the fist Christmas where my little granddaughter isn't' sick and it's going to be special for her. That means everyone is going to be happy." He hands Fisher a pair of felt reindeer ears, his eyes still steely though a smile touches his lips. "Put these on and at least _pretend _to be cheery. It's Christmas Eve, there's got to be something to get you to smile."

Fisher slowly puts on the festive headband, plastering on a smile that comes across as slightly creepy. Max nods once, picking up his cup and chuckling as he walks away.

Brennan sets down a plate of sugar cookies on the long table, frowning at Fisher's strange smile. Turning from the intern without comment she scans the gathered crowd of family, friends and a few choice colleagues. The interns are spread out, talking amongst the group of FBI agents Booth invited. She spots Angela, Cam and Michelle talking on the couch, young Michael Hodgins playing with his new toy train on the floor in front of them. Russ, Amy and her girls are in the corner, admiring the huge tree as Max joins them. Taking a few steps to her left she can see her husband smiling and talking with Hodgins and Parker, his impressive form covered in a burgundy buttoned up shirt.

Though she takes a moment to admire Booth's physique, she quickly looks away, intent on finding one person in particular; her daughter. She walks though her guests, murmuring distracted hello's every few seconds but doesn't find the little girl. Knowing how the girl inherited her father's enthusiasm for Christmas, she becomes worried and turns to Booth who quickly looks over as if sensing her gaze and, after excusing himself, joins her.

"What's wrong, Bones?" he asks her, placing his hand on her waist.

"Do you know where Bianca is?" Booth frowns, shaking his head as he too peers though the bodies for the small frame of his three-year-old daughter. "I haven't seen her in half an hour."

"She's probably in her room," He says in a calm voice, squeezing her waist reassuringly. "I'll go check."

"No, stay," Brennan insists, already walking away. "I'll find her."

Now moving briskly, Brennan walks up the stairs to the rooms above. Her footsteps are nearly silent on the thick carpet as she nears her daughter's bedroom door. She finds it open just a crack and peers in. The room is dark except for the few lights on the small tree Bianca had 'saved' from the tree lot. She sits on the floor in front of it now, her gaze fixed on the blinking colors and her beautiful red dress spread around her.

"Bianca," Brennan says in relief and confusion, walking into the room and over to the young child.

"Hi, Mommy," Bianca replies in an uncharacteristically small voice, bringing her knees to her chin and wrapping her arms around her legs.

"Are you feeling sick?" Brennan asks in concern as she feels her forehead, knowing how easily Bianca gets sick during the winter.

"No," she replies in the same voice, her eyes staying her tree, its sparse branches bathed colorful light.

"Why are you in here in the dark?" Brennan inquires, sitting down and also looking at the tree.

Finally an expression crosses the youngster's face as she turns to frown at her mother. "It's not dark, Mommy. The lights are on. See?"

"Yes, I see that. But the rest of the room is dark, especially compared to the party downstairs," Brennan replies, her hand raising to caresses the long brown locks Bianca had inherited from Booth. "Why did you come up here alone?"

"Parker said that…" Bianca shifts, maneuvering herself into Brennan's lap and resting her head on her mother's shoulder. "I heard Parker say that he didn't want to sing the Christmas carols because it was stupid, that they were all baby songs. Do you think they're baby songs, Mommy?"

"Well, I just learned them and I'm not a baby," Brennan points out, her brow crinkling as she thinks of some way to make her daughter feel better. "Would you like to learn one of my favorite Christmas songs?"

"Yeah!" Bianca says excitedly, sitting up and turning her blue eyes on her mother. "Teach me a grown up Christmas carol."

"Its not technically a Christmas carol but it is a very nice song," Brennan tells her, looking over at the door to make sure they are alone. "Okay, um…

"Candles in the window,  
>shadows painting the ceiling,<br>gazing at the fire glow,  
>feeling that gingerbread feeling.<br>Precious moments,  
>special people,<br>happy faces,  
>I can see.<p>

Somewhere in my memory,  
>Christmas joys all around me,<br>living in my memory,  
>all of the music,<br>all of the magic,  
>all of the family home here with me."<p>

Bianca giggles, her lips spread in smile just like her father's. Brennan chuckles in slight embarrassment, looking down at her fingers fiddling with Bianca's dress. Softly and almost hesitantly Bianca starts to sing, struggling over the words. Joining her own voice to that of her daughter's, Brennan helps her out. Together they repeat the tune, neither noticing Booth leaning in the doorway, watching the two most precious women in his life glowing in a rainbow of light.

**What did you think? To those who are reading That Booth Girl, The Oldest Booth and The Beginning, I swear I'm trying to update. I've just developed this huge block in my mind when it comes to those stories. But I'm working on it. **

**Merry Christmas everyone!**


End file.
